Category:US National Archives series: World War II Foreign Posters, 1942 - 1945

The Office of Government Reports was created in 1939 as an administrative unit in the Executive Office of the President to succeed the Executive Council, 1933-34, and the National Emergency Council, 1934-39.

The general functions of these agencies were the following:

• coordinate Federal relief and recovery programs and later the home front aspects of the defense and war effort

• provide a clearinghouse for Government information

• serve as a liaison between Federal and State Governments, including assistance in the preparation of State legislation.

In 1942 the Office of Government Reports was consolidated with other agencies to form the Office of War Information (OWI). The Office of Government Reports was reestablished in 1946, but reduced appropriations in 1947 restricted its activities to advertising and motion picture liaison and the operation of a library. Liquidation of the Office was completed June 30, 1948.

The posters, some in foreign languages, were produced by foreign information offices and war relief associations in the United States for release in this country. In addition to war relief, there are posters depicting agriculture; airplanes; ammunition; books, children; conservation; education; employment; victory bonds; fuel; health; merchant navy; nurses; black market prices; production; propaganda; recruitment; volunteers for Red Cross; sabotage; sacrifice; safety; security; ships; and women (WAFFS).

There is also a composite of the British Leaders of the Royal Air Force; Adolph Hitler (434B); Winston Churchill (342); and Franklin D. Roosevelt (850). At the end of the series is a group of posters entitled "Roosevelt" (900A through 900G), all of which have the same view, but the caption on each is in a different foreign language. Included are Australia; Belgium; Brazil; Britain; Canada; Ceylon; Chinese; Czechoslovakia; Danish; Dutch; French; French Canadian; Greek; Indian; Latin America; Mexico; New zealand; Polish; Russia; South Africa; Welch; and Yugoslavia posters. Most posters are of British and Canadian origin. There is also a section on Roosevelt.

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